


we both have baggage but at least we can carry it together

by Curlscat



Category: The Sisters Grimm - Michael Buckley
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 06:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curlscat/pseuds/Curlscat
Summary: A ficlet of Jake and Charming on a not-quite date.





	we both have baggage but at least we can carry it together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EstrangeloEdessa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstrangeloEdessa/gifts).



They started hanging out because Sabrina sort of accidentally started up a self-defense school. Jake got bored staying in one place during the summer, anyway, and helping his niece figure out how to defend herself was fun. Charming was teaching Sabrina to swordfight. Jake was really not sure how the two of them started, like  _hanging out_. 

He was pretty sure he shouldn’t be doing this, though. Charming was… well, hot, and about as taken as you could get without actually being married. More taken, maybe. Married people cheat, or divorce. And everyone knew, and knew  _why_ , Charming would never get over Snow. Even if they still weren’t together.

Plus Jake hadn’t actually dated anyone since Briar. He and Puck moved around a lot, made it hard. And it took him years to really even want to.

Still. Here he was, somehow sitting across the diner table from a man he’d have told you, a year ago, that he’d never even be friends with. Just the two of them. Having shitty coffee and excellent french fries.

Or, well, Charming had great fries. Jake got pancakes, which don’t come with fries. He’d been stealing them from Charming’s plate. Charming hadn’t stopped him.

And Jake had to stomp on the part of him that thought this was a good sign, because a) William Charming was almost definitely straight, b) even if he weren’t, he was attached to Snow, c) dating royalty is not a good plan for Jake, or Grimms in general (see past history for examples), d) Charming and Sabrina actually, like, were sort of friends, and Jake didn’t want to mess with the delicate equilibrium that was his mistrustful niece and his very cranky crush (and he did have a crush. He was crushing on Charming as hard as he’d crushed on Snow as a child and what did that say about him).

“So, I know you hate being called Billy,” he said casually, stealing another fry.

Charming looked at the plate a little mournfully, then back at Jake, waiting for him to chew. Jake learned early on that eating with this man meant using his Manners.

“But what do you  _like_  to be called?” he asked after a swallow. Damn. this place made good fries. Made up for the awful, awful coffee.

Charming blinked. “Pardon?”

“You know most of us call you by your last name ‘cause it’s funny, right? It’s ironic. You’re kind of an ass. But what do your friends call you?”

“I don’t really have all that many friends.”

Jake sighed, exasperated. “Well, then, pick something.”

Charming looked flustered.

Jake laughed a little. “It’s not supposed to be a hard question.”

Charming swallowed. “I’m not used to being… emotionally available. To people in general. This is unfamiliar territory, and it’s uncomfortable.”

Jake, who had been in the process of stretching his hand across the table to grab another french fry, changed course and laid his hand on top of Charming’s. “We’re friends, dude. I promise I won’t laugh at you. Much.”

Charming stared down at Jake’s hand, connected to his own, for a long moment. Jake wondered if he’d overstepped his bounds. Maybe they weren’t  _really_  friends. Or maybe saying they were had messed it up. He started to pull his hand back.

“Will,” Charming said, as soon as Jake twitched. “Or William. I like both.”

Jake grinned, and left his hand where it was. “Will it is, then.”

He left his hand there for the rest of lunch. Will didn’t move his, either. And maybe it wasn’t going to go anywhere, maybe it was a terrible idea that was just going to end up with his heart broken again. But Jake couldn’t remember being this happy in a long time, so he was prepared to make a stupid mistake.


End file.
